The High Sheriff of Kildare was the British Crown's judicial representative in County Kildare, Ireland from the 16th century until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Free State and replaced by the office of Kildare County Sheriff. The high sheriff had judicial, electoral, ceremonial and administrative functions and executed High Court Writs. In 1908, an Order in Council made the Lord Lieutenant the Sovereign's prime representative in a county and reduced the High Sheriff's precedence. However, the sheriff retained his responsibilities for the preservation of law and order in the county. The usual procedure for appointing the sheriff from 1660 onwards was that three persons were nominated at the beginning of each year from the county and the Lord Lieutenant then appointed his choice as High Sheriff for the remainder of the year. Often the other nominees were appointed as under-sheriffs. Sometimes a sheriff did not serve his full term due to death or another event, and another sheriff was then appointed for the remainder of the year. The dates given in this article are the dates of appointment.
In Ireland, the County Sheriffs were selected or "pricked" by the Lord Lieutenant. All addresses are in County Kildare unless stated otherwise.
List of High Sheriffs of County Kildare Pre-17th century Source: Kildare Archaeological Society 1299 : William AlysaundreBall, F. Elrington The Judges in Ireland 1221-1921 London John Murray 1926 1301: Albert de Kenley 1303 Sir Waleran de Wellesley (or John de Wellesley), knight, killed in battle with the Irish, October 1303, aged 70. Son of Waleran de Wellesley (died c.1276), justice in eyre, ancestor of the Duke of Wellington;, F Elrington The Judges in Ireland 1221-1921 London John Murray 1926 pp.46-7 1306: Sir Hugh Canoun, or Canon. 1310–1314: David le Maryner (or Mazener) 1355: Richard Penkiston (also Escheator for Kildare) 1368: William De Wellesley (first term) u 1372: William de Wellesley (second term) 1373: William Ballymore 1374: Walter fitz John le Faunt 1375: John Creef 1376: Adam de Lyt 1378: Robert FitzEustace (? of Cradockstown). 1384 William De Wellesley 1386: Sir Maurice FitzEustace 1391: William de Wellesley 1392: John Fitz Maurice 1394: Patrick Flatesbury 1403: William de Wellesley 1414: Sir Richard FitzEustace 1415–16: Sir Richard De Wellesley of Dangan, County Meath and of Pollardstown, County Kildare 1419: Sir Richard De Wellesley (second term) 1421: Sir Richard De Wellesley of Dangan, County Meath and of Pollardstown, County Kildare (third term) 1422: Sir Richard De Wellesley (fourth term) 1423: Sir Edward FitzEustace, Knt. 1424: Robert Griffin 1428: Sir Edward FitzEustace, Knt. 1446: Robert Flatesbury (killed 1448) 1452: Christopher De Wellesley of Alasty 1456: Robert FitzEustace of Ballycutland (Coghlanstown) 1465: Christopher Flatesbury of Osbertown 1472: Philip Eustace of Newland 1484: Lawrence Sutton of Barbystown 1493: Richard Eustace of Eilgon (?Eilgowan) 1494: Bartholomew Aylmer of Lyons 1495: Bartholomew Aylmer 1496: Sir William De Wellesley 1498: Laurence Sutton of Tipper 1499: Maurice Eustace of Ballyoutland (Coghlanstown) 1502: Sir William Wogan of Rathcoffey 1507: William Eustace of Newland 1508: Laurence Sutton of Tipper 1509: William Eustace of Cradockstown 1523: Thomas Eustace, 1st Viscount Baltinglass of Henryston (Harristown) 1527: Thomas Netterfeld, snr. 1535: John Eustace of Harriston 1536: James FitzGerald of Osberdiston (Osberstown). 1537–38: Philip fitzMaurice FitzGerald, of Allen. 1540: William Birmingham of Dunfert. 1541: James FitzGerald of Ballysonnane (Ballyshannon). 1542: Nicholas Wogan of Rathcoffey 1543: Richard Aylmer of Lyons 1544: William Eustace of Mone (? Moone) 1556: Nicholas Eustace of Cradockston 1557: Patrick Sarsfield of Castledillon 1558: Redmund Fitzgeralde of Rathangan 1558–1560: Francis Cosby of Even [now Monasterevin] 1560: Maurice FitzGerald of "Gerardston" 1567: John Eustace of Castlemartin 1571: Robert Pypho 1573: Piers Fitz-Gerald of Ballysonan 1576: John Eustace of Castle Marten 1578: Peter Fitz-Gerald of Ballysonan 1580: John Eustace of Castle Marten 1581: Piers Fitz-Gerald of Ballysonan 1583: Redmond Bermingham of the Grange 158n: Thomas Fitz-Gerald of Timahoe, County Kildare 158n: William Eustace 1592: Maurice Eustace 1593: Sir Richard Fitzgerald 1594: John Sarsfield 1595: Sarsfield 1596: John Fitz-Gerald 1597: Sir Henry Duke 1598: James Fitz-Gerald
17th century
18th century
19th century
20th century 1900: George Wolfe of Forenaghts and Bishopsland 1901: William Trench Kirkpatrick of Donacomper, Celbridge 1902: Sir Kildare Dixon Borrowes, 10th Baronet of Barretstown Castle, Ballymore Eustace, Naas 1903: James Laurence Carew 1903: Bertram Francis Barton of Straffan House 1904: 1906: Nicholas Joseph Synnott. 1906: Henry Eliardo de Courcy-Wheeler of Robertstown House. 1907: Sir William Goulding, 1st Baronet of Millicent, Sallins. 1908: Bertram Hugh Barton of Straffan House. 1909: Hugh Arthur Henry of Firmount, Sallins. 1910: Joseph Henry Greer of Grange, Moy, County Tyrone. 1911: Hugh Wyndham Montgomery of Ballymore. 1912: 1916: Capt Rt Hon Herbert Dixon, OBE, Ballyalloy, near Comber, County Down.
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